Mothership Review

Release Date: Nov 13, 2007Label: RhinoGenres: Blues-Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Arena Rock, Album Rock, British Metal, British BluesNumber Of Tracks: 24
Weighing in at two discs and 24 tracks, Mothership has a sense of scale that the previous round of compilations lacked.

Mothership
Reviewed by:
mon_the_fraser, on december 19, 2007 12 of 20 people found this review helpful

Sound: Mothership is the cream of the Led Zeppelin crop and has been released coinciding with their reunion gig at the 02 arena in London. The band's signature sound and tone is captured superbly on this album. John Bonham's crashing drums melt effortlessly into the bass of John Paul Jones and the masterful Jimmy Page's superb guitar which is accompanied by the intense vocals of Robert Plant. // 10

Lyrics: The lyrics on this album are not for making you think or trying to inspire people they are just good. There's nothing special about them and they're pretty basic but they're still epic. Obviously lyrically "Stairway To Heaven" is going to jump at you but Led Zep are not really into clever metaphors and similies and all the rest. There is no real need to pay to much attention to the lyrics as Robert Plant's vocals are simply astonishing. The lyrics always roll together smoothly with the songs and Plant's vocals fit perfectly with them as well. // 10

Overall Impression: This album is only a greatest hits selection so there's no interesting tales of how the record was made or anything but it is a good listen. It compliles all the band's greatest moments and would be a great album to buy if you had heard a few songs liked them and wanted to listen to more (I'm only 15 and only had Led Zeppelin IV and I definetly want to buy the rest). From a musicians point of view you cannot fault this album in any way. Page is an intense and powerful guitar player there are some great solos to learn on this album. There's no real point in buying this if you already have all the other albums but it contains some great tracks and will make a great Christmas present for your dad. // 10

Mothership
Reviewed by:
AdemaOnYourHead, on december 21, 2007 4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Sound: Duck and cover, get in the bunkers and take shelter, because the Mothership has landed! Released to coincide with the Led Zeppelin reunion concert, this collection is indeed the Mothership, filled with many of Zep's best songs, including "Stairway to Heaven," "Dazed And Confused," and my personal favorite, "Achilles Last Stand." And, should you so be inclined, there is a deluxe edition that comes with a third disc available for purchase. This disc contains videos from the Led Zeppelin DVD, live performances at Royal Albert Hall, MSG, Knebworth, and more. As far as sound and quality goes, there's not much to say, other than, "It's Zeppelin." // 10

Lyrics: Robert Plant's lyrics and voice is always top notch. The vocals are powerful (Heartbreaker), haunting (No Quarter), and overall a feast to the ears. Lyrics-wise, inspirations range from fantasy settings, J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and various other experiences. I'm not to say exactly what all the songs are about and their meanings, I'll leave that up to you, the listeners. Overall, Plant's vocals are amazing, and you won't be disappointed. // 10

Overall Impression: While this is a good collection, my main problem is the fact that most, if not all, of this stuff has already been released and re-released time and again. If you already have the Early Days/Latter Days, there may not be a good reason to buy this collection. Most of the bonus videos were already released on Led Zeppelin's self-titled DVD. The only tracks featured on Mothership that were not on Early Days/Latter days are "Heartbreaker," "Ramble On," and "D'yer Mak'er." However, this comes at the expense of the removal of "Battle of Evermore" and "Over the Hills and Far Away." The only other thing that irks me is the cover. It looks nothing like any of the covers of Zeppelin's previous albums, and I have a sneaking suspicion they had nothing to do with this cover. So, overall, I am going to give this an 8 out 10, as it is a very good collection, with its only flaw being that if you are already a Zeppelin fan, there's a good chance you already have everything on these CDs. However, if you're a new Zeppelin fan looking to get in to them, this is the collection to have. // 8

Mothership
Reviewed by:
actaderock, on july 03, 2009 1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Sound: I think this is a semi-ultimate band and I've always thinked it is the best band not just musically (on how you appreciate a piece theorically) but also technically, lyricaly and how they sound. Mothership is a compilation, but I remember that if you bought it you participated in getting one of the 20,000 tickets for their presentation at the 02 arena.
Page its self broght a lot of innovation technically, playing with the violin bow in dazed and confused and playing with both hands (tapping) in heart breaker. Engineerwise, Page ''invented/discovered'' the reverb back in the yardbirds, but here he used it a lot, plus how he putted strength into Bonham's drumming (plus his drum sticks were ''trees''). Talking about Bonham, he really influenced metal drumming in the future, but great drummers out of the metal scene (travis barker, steve jocz) are also influenced by him.
As everyone knows, this is a compilation, but songs suck as immigrant song and black dog sound really, really, really, really good when you hear them re-mastered. // 10

Lyrics: Eventhough Zeppelin has some fame of being ''copiers'' and eventhough (only god and Page know) they are not just coincidences, Page will always be my guitar/music composer idol. Songs about girls can really get a girl going, not just their lyrics, but their awesome riffs (trampled underfoot, black dog, houses of the holy) the weird, happy songs (communication breakdown, good times bad times) really make me happy and you can get with bad times with songs suck as dazed and confused and stairway to heaven. All of Jimmi's solos are obviously a master piece. Singer Skills? Who better than Robert Plant? // 10

Overall Impression: No, well, I do hear it all the way through almost all the time (this and Blink 182's greatest hits) but Blink can't compare to Zeppelin.
Well, all of them are awesome, but Dazed and Confused impresses with it's guitar played in a weird way, Led Zeppelin impressed me with Dyer Maker (awesome song) because it is Reggae, if you analyze Stairway to Heaven musically it is simply great and Black Dog's riff is one of the best in history. // 10

Mothership
Reviewed by:
Nicolas N, on january 05, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Sound: How to describe this band. They are the rock and roll pionneers and music heroes. They have released their new remastered CD: Mothership, containing 24 of their greatest hits such as the: Immigrant Song, Kashmir, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven and many more. Led Zeppelin is one of the greatest rock and roll bands of the century. During the month of November the band has released it's creme de la creme, it's masterpiece. This band is what you could almost describe as perfection, between Robert Plant's deep voice, John Paul Jones' mystifying playing, Jimmy Paige's powerful solos and John Bonham's hard hitting you have the creators of hard rock. The band is brilliant. // 10

Lyrics: The lyrics haven't changed they continue to be the same as they were thirty years ago. Robert Plant's voice continues to be first-class and rivitting. One word to describe the voice of a century: sensational. He's one of the most talented and remembered artists such as Jim Morrison to have a quite specific voice which allows us to identify him right away. He's quite the frontman. // 8

Overall Impression: Led Zeppelin's Mothership is rather excellent however there are a few inconvenients. Since the lyrics haven't changed that means that neither haven't the songs, they are great nevertheless it would be great to see some new songs. Mothership is a compilation of almost Led Zeppelin's best tracks which they have recorded but on the other hand the song picking might vary for every person. Globally, the CD is great, the material is very good. I would recommend it to everybody. // 9

Mothership
Reviewed by:
guitarist5001, on january 12, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Sound: This Best Of album has an awesome sound probably because of how perfectly remastered it's songs. But generally about Led Zeppelin's sound, it's great, the guitar is perfect for the songs and Plant's vocals fit with the overall sound of the band. And nearly all of the songs on these two discs are unique and fantastic to listen to. // 10

Lyrics: As I said earlier Robert Plant's vocals are very appropriate to the sound of each of the songs. The lyrics are really really clever and also fit with the style of music in each individual song. And best of all Robert Plant is an incredibly skilled singer his range is fairly diverse and his voice is soft in some songs yet has the ability to be hugely powerful in others. // 10

Overall Impression: Before I bought this album I didn't know all that much about Led Zep. But the qaulity of this album has definatly turned me into a huge fan. Some of the songs I really love on this album are Communication Breakdown, Dazed and Confused, Whole Lotta Love, Ramble On, Immigrant Song, Black Dog, of course Stairway, Trampled Under Foot, Houses of the Holy, In the Evening and All My Love. So generally I think this album is fantastic and I would highly recommend to anyone that appreciates really really good music. // 10

Mothership
Reviewed by:
0GibsonLesPaul0, on june 30, 2010 0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Sound: Wow! That's all I could say. It was really nice because it was the re-mastered version of the album. So the recordings were the same but the sound quality is way better. Jimmy Page really is the bread and butter to the band. My favorite part is that with just about every riff, Robert Platt would follow up with some funky screaming thing. Not that that's a bad thing. Another thing that I liked is that they didn't really overlay the guitar track on the solos like they [mixers, masterers, and other recording people] usually do today. The only thing that I didn't like is the introduction to "Immigrant Song". There was a lot of static that builds up. But what do I know. They could have wanted that. // 9

Lyrics: The lyrics are really cool because they weren't all about love and heartbreak and all of that stuff. Like each song had its own individual story to it. And the stories were very original. The singer [Robert Platt] has a really interesting voice. Almost like Geddy Lee's in the beginning of Rush's success. Its like a mix between screaming and singing. Probably sounds like me when I sing in the shower... except a million times better. // 8

Overall Impression: I love that the album came with a booklet that has some original photos, biographies, and a little more about the band. I really think it was one of my top five buys CD wise. Some of my favorite songs from 'Mothership' were "Immigrant Song"; "Stairway To Heaven"; "Communication Breakdown"; and "Good Times, Bad Times". But I can't really name any more because if I did I would have to list the whole album. I would definitely buy it again if it were stolen/lost. One of the few negative things was that I was really confused on how to work the double CD flipper thing. But maybe that's just me. The case was also really interesting, but you can figure that out for yourself when you go buy it. // 9

They just did this for cash. They already released a best of. Why? What's the point? It's just the same songs with a new album cover and maybe songs are better mastered. I wouldn't buy it i already got the songs

EnterIbanez wrote:
They just did this for cash. They already released a best of. Why? What's the point? It's just the same songs with a new album cover and maybe songs are better mastered. I wouldn't buy it i already got the songs

because it was for charity you tool. do your background. anyway, i want this album real bad.

EnterIbanez wrote:
They just did this for cash. They already released a best of. Why? What's the point? It's just the same songs with a new album cover and maybe songs are better mastered. I wouldn't buy it i already got the songs

if theres a band who wouldnt do anything for cash itd be them, cash doesnt have to be thought about with zeppelin, they could allready by your soul. and if it sways chavs.....

I was pretty disapointed by this... unless your just getting into the band don't get this. all the songs on the CD were already available on albums and box sets, and all the video's on the DVD were already released on previous DVD's

Cobalt Blue wrote:
I was pretty disapointed by this... unless your just getting into the band don't get this. all the songs on the CD were already available on albums and box sets, and all the video's on the DVD were already released on previous DVD's

So? Your just not a real fan then to appreciate the findings of a great band.

grimms wrote:
I swear... This band has like 3 GOOD songs... the rest are SHIT!
Led Zeppelin SUCK!

Somewhere a baby just died because of what you said, You now have to live with that for the rest of your life.
It is people like you who don't even appriciate or respect bands of the past who go off and create bands like Fall Out Boy.

i loved it! it was really good, i had my uncle burn me some of the songs off of it, and it sounds amazing!
and yeah, most bands from the past, are wwaaayyyy better than bands now anyway, especially Fall Out Boy.

Great list of songs, by the grimms, i know what you mean, I thought that too at first, give it time, then listen to them again, if you dont get it then, you never will. It also kinda depends on your mood.

I think more than a few of their best songs (meaning songs showcasing their talent) are missing from this CD. You Shook Me should definetly be on there and same for Your Time Is Gonna Come as well as The Lemon Song.

i already have all zeppelin's stuff,
but it would still be nice to have this album due to the improved sound quality,
i listened to samples of the tracks and they sounded great. i just wish "the battle of evermore" was left on instead of "d'yer mak'er"
i think the former is a much better song.

-Rock-N'-Roll- wrote:
Cobalt Blue wrote:
I was pretty disapointed by this... unless your just getting into the band don't get this. all the songs on the CD were already available on albums and box sets, and all the video's on the DVD were already released on previous DVD's
So? Your just not a real fan then to appreciate the findings of a great band.

-Rock-N'-Roll- wrote:
Cobalt Blue wrote:
I was pretty disapointed by this... unless your just getting into the band don't get this. all the songs on the CD were already available on albums and box sets, and all the video's on the DVD were already released on previous DVD's
So? Your just not a real fan then to appreciate the findings of a great band.

he was explaining that if u already have much zeppelin stuff mothership is a waste of money becasue all the stuff on it is on other discs. i dont reckon zep had much to do with this one. the cover art doesnt seem led zeppelin. it looks more like something from a 90's punk band or something.

Ali-b912 wrote:
-Rock-N'-Roll- wrote:
Cobalt Blue wrote:
I was pretty disapointed by this... unless your just getting into the band don't get this. all the songs on the CD were already available on albums and box sets, and all the video's on the DVD were already released on previous DVD's
So? Your just not a real fan then to appreciate the findings of a great band.
he was explaining that if u already have much zeppelin stuff mothership is a waste of money becasue all the stuff on it is on other discs. i dont reckon zep had much to do with this one. the cover art doesnt seem led zeppelin. it looks more like something from a 90's punk band or something.

thank you for defending my comment so I didn't have to, that is exactly what I was saying 'cause my dad bought the DVD thinking there would atleast be a few new video's on it...
when i saw somebody picking at my comment i thought i phrased something wrong or something.

EnterIbanez wrote:
They just did this for cash. They already released a best of. Why? What's the point? It's just the same songs with a new album cover and maybe songs are better mastered. I wouldn't buy it i already got the songs

the songs are actually slightly remastered they say better than remasters but not better than a good condition vinyl

conorverified wrote:
SWLABR wrote:
a lot of their songs are an aquired taste. I've been a fan for years and Carouselambra is just now starting to sound NOT god-awful. It's a process to be sure.
Yeh definitely, like does anyone like Hot Dog. It's the only Zepp song I don't love, but HATE!

hey dudes,
well first of all i would normally rant about how thats a naive rating to give them.....but seeing as its Led Zeppelin i would without a doubt accept that rating.
Secondly, if they want to release an album and make money for charity or themselves....does it really matter? hell i mean i only buy an album for the songs and the musical experience gained from those songs, and to be honest i dont give a damn who gets the money, because i still get the exact same listening experience at the end of the day.
so while i let you 12 year old bickering critics ponder that (and while i also let you google bickering and ponder coz u aint got a clue what they mean) i will be off playing music inspired by the Zep.
~Xx peace xX~

this is just another greatest hits album. They've had 2 or 3 I think, but none that cover the whole span of zeppelin songs. Great album! Brings greatest songs ever together (although I would have liked to have In My TIme of Dying on it).

The only thing I hate about this compilation is that they released in a 2CD version and 2CD/DVD set. Why don't they just release it on the 2CD/DVD set? The only people buying this are Zep fans and I'm sure they would like to see the DVD. Well, I'm not buying it. I already have their entire discography and a few dvds anyways.

I swear... This band has like 3 GOOD songs... the rest are SHIT!
Led Zeppelin SUCK!

Let me get this straight, you go on a guitar tab site and then you insult Led Zeppelin - a band whose guitarist has been in the Yardbirds along with Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. Now, if you're like me and you came to this site to improve your ability, how are you going to do that if you're so narrowminded as to dismiss Led Zep as 'Shit' bar 3 songs?

conorverified wrote:
SWLABR wrote:
a lot of their songs are an aquired taste. I've been a fan for years and Carouselambra is just now starting to sound NOT god-awful. It's a process to be sure.
Yeh definitely, like does anyone like Hot Dog. It's the only Zepp song I don't love, but HATE!

i agree..im one of zeppelins biggest fans..and i HATE hot dog xD i cant stand the piano in it. it sounds like its a song played in a circus...

Easy creation guide to Mothership:
1. Take all the tracks from Early Days/Latter Days
2. Then remove Over the Hills and Far Away & Battle of Evermore, add Heartbreaker & Ramble On & D'yer Mak'er
3. Create a shitty cover that looks nothing like a Led Zeppelin album
4. Add bonus materials we already have
5. ???
6. Profit!

EnterIbanez wrote:
They just did this for cash. They already released a best of. Why? What's the point? It's just the same songs with a new album cover and maybe songs are better mastered. I wouldn't buy it i already got the songs

I totally agree with you, they have the early days and latter days already and before that a few other box sets, I hate when bands do this.

gr1170 wrote:
grimms wrote:
I swear... This band has like 3 GOOD songs... the rest are SHIT!
Led Zeppelin SUCK!
Somewhere a baby just died because of what you said, You now have to live with that for the rest of your life.
It is people like you who don't even appriciate or respect bands of the past who go off and create bands like Fall Out Boy.

How is dismissing a band from the past any different than one of the present. Sure the band from the past survived the test of time, but you assume the present will not. Both bands are background music for car ads. Deal with it.

Listen to the first two albums here -- as well as others that are just as good.
Zep are like Pele and Ali -- a lot of people buying other people's opinion. They took (from music) far more than they ever gave back and to be frank were pretty limited.
http://musicchain.net/entry/1001-Albums-... fore-You-Die

Good review, and very nice use of words. Though I find Zep's lyrics to have meaning, they aren't as noticeable or impressed but if you listen there's some good stuff lyrically as well. Anyways great job.

Just finished listening to disc one for the umpteenth time.....now on disc 2....the DVD is fantastic. Mothership is much better than Remasters. The only thing its lacking is The Rain Song....but i did get a t-shirt with it

fretsonfire74 wrote:
EnterIbanez wrote:
They just did this for cash. They already released a best of. Why? What's the point? It's just the same songs with a new album cover and maybe songs are better mastered. I wouldn't buy it i already got the songs
because it was for charity you tool. do your background. anyway, i want this album real bad.

mothership is a remastered version. the concert was for charity. besides, mothership does have a few new songs (ramble on, over the hills and far away, etc) plus, they are all remastered. the quality is way better. awesome stuff. dont **** with the great zep

fretsonfire74 wrote:
EnterIbanez wrote:
They just did this for cash. They already released a best of. Why? What's the point? It's just the same songs with a new album cover and maybe songs are better mastered. I wouldn't buy it i already got the songs
because it was for charity you tool. do your background. anyway, i want this album real bad.

mothership is a remastered version. the concert was for charity. besides, mothership does have a few new songs (ramble on, over the hills and far away, etc) plus, they are all remastered. the quality is way better. awesome stuff. dont mess with the great zep

first, i'd just like to say, led zep owns my soul. and who the hell wrotes this? apparently they think the lyrics are basic. this 15-year old kid apparently hasn't heard kashmir half their other songs. why the hell do the let dumbasses write on here???

haha "painfully sloppy gutair licks"....
thats pretty funny you said that.....I think you one of those kids who listens to Fall OUt Boy and My Chemical ROmance...lol..do you even know what a guitar lick is....by your name "the king is dead" i see that you like Megadeth...hey how bout instead of you showing eveyone that your retared why don't you just go ride you low E string with your pothetic crate 10watt amp. and your new squire that your mom just bought you.

gr1170 wrote:
grimms wrote:
I swear... This band has like 3 GOOD songs... the rest are SHIT!
Led Zeppelin SUCK!
Somewhere a baby just died because of what you said, You now have to live with that for the rest of your life.
It is people like you who don't even appriciate or respect bands of the past who go off and create bands like Fall Out Boy.

U guys all f-in kill me! i love how one comment sparks an all-out war in people--because we get to have hilarious comments like gr1170's! Ledzepkicksazz is right, too. What kind of idiot would click on an article about a band they hate? So, in closing, i would like not to curse, but to thank grimms for my laugh of the day and give props to gr1170 for working in Fall Out Boy to his dis. All in good spirits, though people, Grimms has a right to his opinion, but not on a forum for led zeppelin. Rock on everyone, led zeppelin is awesome.

so is this nothing more than a collection of zeppellin songs stuck in 2 disks?? a task that anyone can really do tbh
is there anything else about the album that can compare it to something like what the beatles did with the 'love' album last year??

Cobalt Blue wrote:
I was pretty disapointed by this... unless your just getting into the band don't get this. all the songs on the CD were already available on albums and box sets, and all the video's on the DVD were already released on previous DVD's

uhhhh so what if we already have all the songs and everything on the DVD already? it's still a great compilation. did you forget about the lil booklet inside?

Sorry for posting again, but I'm tired of hearing all these people complain. If led zeppelin wants to make another best-of album, then let them. It's Led Zeppelin. They can do whatever the **** they want.
Oh yeah, and Grimms gtfo.